Taste perception plays a key role in determining individual food preferences and
dietary habits and may influence nutritional status. This study aimed to investigate
the association of TAS1R2 (Ile191Val - rs35874116)
and TAS1R3 (-1266 C/T - rs35744813) variants with
food intake and nutritional status in children followed from birth until 7.7 years
old. The nutritional status and food intake data of 312 children were collected at
three developmental stages (1, 3.9 and 7.7 years old). DNA was extracted from blood
samples and the polymorphisms were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reactions
(qPCR) using hydrolysis probes as the detection method. Food intake and nutritional
status were compared among individuals with different single nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP) genotypes. At 3.9 years old, children homozygous (Val/Val) for
the TAS1R2 Ile191Val polymorphism ingested less sugar and
sugar-dense foods than children who were *Ile carriers. This finding
demonstrated that a genetic variant of the T1R2 taste receptor is associated with the
intake of different amounts of high sugar-content foods in childhood. This
association may provide new perspectives for studying dietary patterns and
nutritional status in childhood.
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